What Does God Want FROM… and FOR You This Year?

You have a decision to make.

Will this be the year you decide to step out of complacency and into the call that God has placed on your life… or will you continue to dodge what you know He is asking of you?

I get it, though.

Sometimes playing it safe seems like the smarter move. 

It’s less risky. 

There’s a smaller chance of failing.

Sisters, I don’t have time for that.

To be honest… WE don’t have time for that.

God has given each of us a specific role to walk out for the Kingdom, and we cannot afford to be content with doing… nothing.

Remember those famous words that Mordecai whispered to Esther to spark her out of fear and into action?

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) 

Well I’d like to suggest that just like Esther, you are on planet earth for a time such as this…too.

It’s not a coincidence that you are here… now.

And as daughters of the King, you too hold a royal position.

You’re in the family business.

So I’m humbly calling you on to the battlefield.

No more of the same ole’ excuses.

No more desire to sit in complacency.

No more ignoring God’s call.

This year… 2013… is YOUR year to step out of your comfort zone and into your calling.

Are you ready?

When God first called me into ministry 8 years ago, I fought it tooth and nail.

• The walking-it-out concept was scary and it seemed too big.
• What God wanted of me required a lot of trust, which I struggled with.
• He was asking me to do something I wasn’t comfortable doing.

And to top it off, I was fresh off a tough season in my marriage and I just wanted to chill.  I wanted to coast for a while.

But God had different plans.

A wise friend of mine said this to me, “When God calls you… He equips you.”

She reminded me that He would give me what I needed to do what He was calling me to do.

Hint:  He will do the same thing for you.

So, I said YES to God… and I’ve been so blessed through the process.

Has it been easy?  No. 

Has it been a smooth ride?  Not at all. 

Have I wanted to walk away at times.  Yes.

But I love being a part of something… bigger.

I love knowing that the God of the Universe uses… me.

I love being on the front lines of the battlefield, uncovering the Enemy’s plans.

It’s a wild ride.

Sisters… it’s time to step out of your complacency and into your calling.

Not sure what that “calling” is?

Start by telling God you are ready to co-labor with Him.  And then ask Him what He has in store FOR YOU… and what He wants FROM YOU this year.

Ask God these questions:

1. In what areas should my heart be tendered towards Your children?
2. Do I need to change my direction to stay aligned with Your will for my life?
3. Where do You want me to engage in a more significant way?
4. Is there a particular scripture that You’d like me to walk out?
5. Do You have a specific word that will help focus my efforts?

I continue to say “yes” to God, and I’ve been asking Him to show me what He wants from me in 2013.  He did.

God gave me direction through a specific WORD He wants me to live out loud for this year.

Wanna know that word?

C O L L I D E

To be honest, I’m not sure what that is going to look like.  But I am stinkin’ excited to walk this one out.

So friends… what’s your plan?

Maybe instead, the question should be… what is His plan for you?

• Ask God to show you what He wants from you and for you in 2013. 
• Keep asking until He reveals it to you.
• Be listening for His answer through consistent, persistent messages.
• Meditate on these trust-building verses:
  • Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
  • Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Then once you know what God is asking of you, be obedient and say YES to His vision for your 2013.

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REALITY CHECK:  Make a decision to allow God to use you.  Trust that He doesn’t call the equipped… but equips the called.  That means YOU. 

© 2012 careyscotttalks.com

Check out my resources HERE.

Let’s Connect!  Subscribe to my newsletter, Follow me on Twitter, Book Me to speak at your event, Like my Facebook Ministry Page, Visit me at Moms Together.

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No More Nos

The other day, I asked my kids to empty the dishwasher.

This came on the heels of them tidying their rooms, putting away laundry, emptying the trash, and cleaning the bathrooms. So I was little concerned that I’d get some pushback with this next request.

You see, this year we’ve increased their allowance… and so we’ve increased their list of chores.

Momma likey!

To my delight, both kids answered… YES… and they came into the kitchen with smiles and completed their task.

No pushback.

No frustration.

No excuses.

They just said… yes.

When God asks you to do something, how do you respond?

So often, we find reasons why the timing is bad… or our calendars are too full… or we are the wrong person for the job.

Rather than tell God YES, we respond with a NO.

We tell our Creator… NO.

At CWAHM, I’m unpacking the concept of rejecting God’s plan.

I’m discussing why saying YES can be hard.

And I’m sharing a time when He asked me to say YES… and what happened when I did.

Maybe you have a story to share, too?

To read my post or leave a comment, you can find me by clicking here.  Hope you’ll stop by!

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REALITY CHECK:  You’ve been given a talent that the world needs now.  Will you share it?

©2012 careyscotttalks.com

Let’s Connect!  Follow me on Twitter, Book Me to speak at your event, Like my Facebook Fan Page, Visit me each Wednesday at Moms Together.

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I’m Okay In The Middle

Wayne has a sinus infection and he feels so icky!

His sleep is restless (poor thang) and he tosses about all night.  He has trouble breathing because his nose is stuffy, so he snores.  He’s miserable.

When one of us gets sick, it’s common to sleep apart.  Is it the same in your home?  We just don’t do well in the same bed when we’re sick.

In all honesty, I kind of like having the bed to myself from time to time!  You know why?

I can sleep in the middle of the bed.

Yes… I do miss having him next to me.  He’s a sweet man!  But the middle of our bed is pure heaven because it is the firmest part.  The big support beam sits directly under that imaginary line… and so it’s firm and fabulous!

Either side of the middle isn’t the same.  When I sleep there…

• My sleep isn’t as restful so I’m tired all day.
• I wake up sore almost every morning.
• My neck gets jacked up.

BUT when I sleep in the middle… life is so much better the next day!  There’s a lesson in this mattress story.  Can you see how our Christian lives are like this?  When we stay in the middle:

• we are more rested and less weary.
• we find joy in spite of the pain.
• we are not “stiff-necked” people… so we can keep our eyes on Him.

The middle is a good place.  Our lives are balanced and manageable, because God is in the middle!  That’s the place we want to live.  And it’s important to know that living life on either side of that middle gets us into trouble.

Here’s what I mean.

People that live too far to one side, find themselves complacent in their faith and their relationship with Him.  There’s no realness between them and God.

Result:  He is… and they are… but there is no fellowship.

People who live too far to the other side, can be overbearing and hurtful!  They are too in-the-face of others!  They easily judge.  In their opinion, they’ve got this whole Christianity thing figured out… and you don’t.  They may even think God is easily predictable or better yet… a formula they’ve discovered.

Result:  He is… and they are His equal (or close enough)… in their opinion.

However, when you choose to live in the middle… you find a firm foundation.  He becomes the support that sustains.  In Him you find rest so you are ready to tackle the day or the issues you face.

Result:  He is… and you are so very thankful!

You know what?  I want to live there because the truth is that I’m okay in the middle!

How about you?

©2010 careyscotttalks.com

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Ever Consider That God Allows Both Good and Bad?

“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.“ (Ecclesiastes 7:14)

Sometimes I am so quick to blame the devil for the tough times I face.  Reality is that sometimes God allows it.  On the flip side, there are times I give myself credit for the good times and I have to be deliberate in remembering that all good things come from God.

He blends our lives with good and bad.  Why?  It keeps us from predicting what the future may hold for us.  So then, we can’t rely on human wisdom… be it ours or someone elses.

We just have to trust Him and walk in faith.   Clever God.

Here is the problem, though.  I like my life to be controllable and predictable and I work hard to make it be.  For example:

1. I always put my tweezers in the same place so I can find them when I need to pluck that annoying chin hair (don’t laugh… you do too!)
2. I follow a strict time-line in the mornings so the kids get off to school without a hitch.
3. I put every date and reminder in my BlackBerry so I don’t miss something along the way.
4. I have a dry-erase board on the fridge that highlights the family’s weekly schedule.
5. I start buying birthday and Christmas presents in January.

I like to have things planned and in order.

But you know what I find when everything in my world gels like I like it to?  I get a bit complacent in my faith… because I’m not having to work overtime to make it all come together.  Nor am I having to trust God with the parts that are out of my reach.

That is NOT the Christian life.

When I get too comfortable, God allows (uses) bad times to bring me back to Him.  I wonder if you recognize that in your life as well?

I’ll be honest, even though I am in ministry with my speaking and writing… sometimes I get so wrapped up in the “tasks” that I overlook the “relationship.”

Satan loves that.

He knows that God is my power source and when I am not plugged into Him daily, my efforts to share what God has done in my life will eventually fall flat.  I will wear out or get bitter in battle.  That is… in my own strength.

But God doesn’t want that to happen… so He will use difficulties and hardships to drive me back to my knees and once again come under His submission.

I love Him for that!  (But usually not in the midst of it!) 

Are you in a valley right now?  Is life a bit bigger than you seem to be able to handle?  Is there some uncertainty up ahead?  Don’t be so quick to blame the Enemy.

Maybe… just maybe… God is trying to get your attention.

Think about it….

©2010 careyscotttalks.com

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(Wo)Man Up

I recently listened to a sermon at my church about the need to “Man Up.”  My oh my how the pastor “brought it.”

He was specifically challenging men to step out of passivity with regard to their relationships.  While it was geared towards the male audience, I found it to be easily transferable to women as well.

This isn’t easy to do.  We’ve become very comfortable in our Christianity… wouldn’t you agree?  We don’t like to feel inconvenienced when we serve.  When the church asks for money, we are offended.  When a specific call to volunteer is announced, we look the other direction.

In addition, we don’t like to be asked to give too much of ourselves.  We use the excuse that we are “busy.”  Well, maybe we are busy.  But Jesus was never too busy, was He?  All He did was give, give, give.

He still does…

There were 3 points I wanted to share with you from this sermon that I thought were right on target.  To (Wo)Man Up… we need to:

1)  Spend time alone with God…. By doing so, He changes you.  When you are intentional about getting one-on-one with God… something happens.  You are changed because He rubs off on you.  You learn about Him by reading the Bible because He reveals His character and nature to you through it.

His will becomes your will.  His ways make sense.  Maybe you find your calling… maybe He confirms it.  Whatever the case may be, you are no longer okay to sit and watch life pass you by.

2)  You need a mentor/ and you need to be a mentor…. Stop pretending your life isn’t messy.  It is.  Community, which God created us for, is messy.  No way around it.  When a mentor steps into the picture, they have the ability to walk you through the mess.  And once you’ve seen it done a few times… you have that to offer to others.

I don’t have a mentor, but have been praying for one for months now.  I mentor others, however, because I’m farther along in my walk (or my healing) than they are.  That’s how it works.

Look, we’re all in this together.  Let’s step out of passivity and help others in their walk!

3)  Change the world right where you are… Some people become so overwhelmed thinking they are but “one” person and alone can’t solve any problems.  I know that feeling!  When I went to South Africa on a missions trip and saw what AIDS and poverty were doing to the people there, I became so overwhelmed.  I felt paralyzed.  What could I do about this issue?

But then a man on the team said these words to me that I’ll never forget.  He said, “Carey, you are one link in a chain.”

He was saying that I didn’t have to offer micro-loans to everyone and develop a cure for HIV/AIDS.  I just had to contribute my part for the bigger picture.

Romans 13:11-12 says… “And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.“

We need to wake up!  The hour has come to (Wo)Man Up.

You are needed on the battlefield.

©2010 careyscotttalks.com

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